The present invention is directed to an apparatus for providing foot and leg support for an immobilized patient. More particularly, the present invention provides a device that provides appropriate support to a foot and a leg so as to prevent foot drop while avoiding skin damage.
It is well known in the medical community that prolonged periods of immobility where a patient is forced to remain in a single position, for instance in a bed ridden prone position, can create significant skin problems, commonly referred to as bed sores. These skin problems arise from the fact that when too much pressure is brought to bear on the skin, capillary refill cannot occur in the cardiovascular system. As a consequence, cell death begins in the skin.
A common way to avoid this problem is to somehow provide a change of position for the patient so that the same portions of the body are not bearing the weight on the supporting surface during the period of the patient's immobility. However, this can be a taxing process for certain patients. It is therefore a goal to provide as much support for the patient's body as possible while avoiding the creation of these bed sores and without further complicating patient treatment.
Additional problems arise when one considers the impact of immobility upon a patient's leg and foot. In particular, the heel of a patient's foot, upon which the pressure of the foot would typically rest in an immobile patient laying on his or her back, does not have much flesh between the skin and bone. Therefore, this area is more readily susceptible to cell death and ultimately skin damage. Furthermore, the large muscle of the lower leg and foot contract to pull the foot downward, away from the leg so as to create a condition commonly referred to as foot drop. In foot drop, the foot is pulled away from a position of function, that is the normal angular position of the foot with respect to the leg, generally around 90.degree. or so.
It has been known to provide supporting structures for a patient's leg and foot. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,692 to Maxwell discloses a drop foot splint. The splint includes an L-shaped supporting mechanism which maintains the foot at approximately a right angle with respect to the leg. However, a splint such as that shown in Maxwell does have a number of drawbacks. For instance, the splint is more difficult to store since it is in a fixed L-shape. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the support for the patient's foot is provided along the heel and the calf alone and is not really distributed along the lower leg portion so as to more evenly distribute the leg's weight. This can lead to a potential problem with skin death, particularly at the heel.
It would be beneficial for patients and medical practitioners to have available a foot and leg support that prevents foot drop and skin damage while still providing an easily stored structure.